Category: Book Review

The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World is an effort by the Dalai Lama, Archbishop Desmond Tutu mediated by Douglas Abrams. We are admitted into the inner worlds of these two experts on how to live with joy amidst a lifetime of suffering. The Dali Lama teaches that “The ultimate source of happiness is within us”. The Archbishop shares that “We grow in kindness when our kindness is tested.” They have walked the walk and now share this wisdom with all of us.

Learn to Receive by Soul Dancer (my baby brother) is aptly named a workbook on how to think it, feel it and live it. Soul has developed a method that can be used privately or more optimally by groups of people who want to dig deep into the ways we can balance our lives. It would be especially useful for anyone in a helping profession who tend to be better in giving than receiving and suffer burnout because of it. This work is the fruit of many years of guiding people in personal growth. Get your overalls and gloves on and get ready to work.

Some of the pearls found in this work of Merton written just before he left for Asia where he died. The best estimation of when that was seems to be sometime in September 1959.

One of the strange laws of the contemplative life is that in it you do not sit down and solve problems: you bear with them until they somehow solve themselves. Pg.2 The contemplative life is primarily a life of unity. A contemplative is one who has transcended divisions to teach a unity beyond division. Pg. 147 The contemplative is not one who directs a magic spiritual intuition upon other objects, but one who, being perfectly unified in himself and recollected in the center of his own humility, enters into contact with reality by an immediacy that forgets the division between subject and object. Pg. 151.

It seem fitting that I finished it around 3:15, this Good Friday afternoon. Thank you Thomas

Every now and then I come across a book that seems to be written just for me. Mellissa Schilling’s book Quirky was one of those books. I first came across her when listening to Book TV. As she described her interest in what she calls ‘quirky’ people it became clear that she has opened up a new and very productive vein of riches in studying these people down through recent history. I especially valued her insights about the common traits that identify such ‘quirky’ persons.

They challenge norms and paradigms and need time alone. Building self-efficacy seems inherent from early on and they often are inspired by grand ambitions. They excel in finding the ‘flow’ and are supported by having access to technological and intellectual resources often from unusual places and people. From experience I can affirm that living with quirky people can be very demanding. It isn’t for the faint of heart. But we are all the beneficiaries of such gifted ones.

I just finished Bruce Bartlett’s “The Truth Matters” It is a handy little reference guide with many insights gleaned from a lifetime of reporting. The last few pages lists many resources with their links so that you can hone in on what you are checking out as true. It will fit in your cargo pants pocket or purse and at the ready if you are tempted to go with what seems too good to be true. In these ‘fake new’ days it is like being vaccinated against a virus that is proving deadly these days. You can read it in a hurry as he has chapters a few pages long on each flash point of the day. Worth the few bucks to own.

A Brief History of Everything by Ken Wilber will stretch and challenge anyone willing to persevere in following his path. I just finished it tonight and got online to find this wonderful example of his thesis on my Facebook page. It is called: Join the Conversation https://youtu.be/HyiVhrPz2o8 Some people in Dubuque, IA are coming together to make tangible the wisdom of the emergent energy in all creation.

Many are following in the footsteps of others who are responding to the ‘within’ (e.g. Teilhard) of reality after having plunged into the (e.g. Teilhard) ‘without’ dimension and found it necessary but incomplete. Examples like John Haught’s “A New Cosmic Story” and Fr. Robert Beck’s “Jesus and his Enemies” are plowing this some of same ground. I encourage those attracted to this emergent energy in all creation to take the pilgrimage with Wilber. You won’t be disappointed.

Richard Rohr and Andreas Ebert have collaborated in “The Enneagram: A Christian Perspective” to add to the many efforts to introduce this time tested source of wisdom. I have learned painfully that I am in danger of making my worst mistakes when I was operating out of my “strengths”. The Enneagram helps to life up this issue in a way that helps bring to consciousness this danger. Then forewarned can truly be forearmed. The material is presented in a conversational manner making it easy to assimilate. If you don’t know much about this method of reflection this book would be a good place to start.

The Shepherd’s Life is a book given to me for Christmas this year. The author, James Rebanks, took me along as he journaled his way through the four seasons of the year. I found his attempt to hold together the tension of the old and the new way of being in the world a creative endeavor. I suspect that many ways of being in the world today are wrestling with this same tension. How does one live with the wisdom of the ages and yet be open to what is revealing itself in this rapidly changing environment? I suspect the advent of the alphabet, the printing press, the industrial expansion were but a few examples of this same struggle. Yet, maybe we face an existential crisis radically new to any that have been faced before. This time, either by our own devices, or by the cumulative effect of ignorant/uncaring choices a do-over might not be possible. It behooves all of us to reflect deeply about what we must do to live within this dynamic. The future depends that we care as deeply ans Rebanks does.

The Return of the Prodigal Son by Henri Nouwen is a book I have heard about for years and now have read. It touched me deeply at this point of my life as an octogenarian. I remember experiencing Henri at a conference where he was a plenary speaker. He brought Adam with him and positioned him on stage for all of us to meet. It was obvious how closely bonded they were. Henri’s exploration of the various people in the parable helped me to join him as I look back over my life and the process of spiritual growth it contains. This book is a timeless classic and if you only read one of Henri’s books I advise starting with this one. Published by Image Books in 1992.

Every now and then humanity stands on the precipice of making a radical choice. Jesus confronted this dynamic and chose love over violence. Humanity got off to a good start in attempting to follow his lead but got sidetracked along the way once we had to take up our own crosses in order to follow him. We fell back on the old method of scapegoating to get a reprieve from the tensions inherent in the call to love unconditionally. Inch by inch we crawled down that old path only to find ourselves once again at a having to make a radical choice. Whether it be our environment, our politics or our religions, we face existential issues. Like the authors of our gospels we need to find a way to be together in love not violence. Each composed their texts to address the needs of their communities. I find myself wondering how we can harvest from Fr Beck’s treasure trove of insights in order to re-enter the gospels in a way that can help us find the courage to step back from the edge of the cliff we find ourselves on now. Maybe, having exhausted all the shortcuts we could devise, we may need to say with Peter, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Jn. 6 68.

Beck, Robert R. Jesus and His Enemies: Narrative Conflict in the Four Gospels. Orbis Books, Maryknoll NY. 2017

Richard Rohr’s Eager to Love, is a deep look at the Franciscan charism. It is good read for any time of the year but especially for Advent. The subtitle: the alternative way of Francis of Assisi briefly sums up Rohr’s experience of having tried it and found it to work. Even though he would be the first to admit he is still trying it. Nonetheless is a way of being in the world that is very attractive to many. I have long felt that we are still a pre-Christian people. We are attracted to Jesus’ ways, but are waiting for more people to really live the life, before we commit to it fully ourselves. Maybe we now are standing of the threshold of having exhausted the other options and might give it a try. If so, this book will be a good handbook for the adventure. Rohr, Richard. Eager to Love. Franciscan Media, Cincinnati, OH. 2014

Braving the Wilderness by Brene Brown is a book meant for today’s questions. In the wake of the trauma of Las Vegas it is natural to want answers of why. Maybe the answer to why will never come but I suspect if it ever does it will include a life motivated by fear and shame. Both these sources of energy ultimately explode in one way or another. Ms. Brown reaches in and asks us to have a “strong back, soft front and a wild heart. In a life time of research she has poured out her findings in a very readable book on how to change the dynamic of the polarization we are embedded in throughout the world. It will take a lot of “wild hearts” to make this transformation real, but do we have any other choice if we want to find meaning in our chaos? I think not.

John F. Haught has written The New Cosmic Story: Inside Our Awakening Universe which is the most important book this bookaholic has read this year. His prophetic work will come to be seen as the opening to the future that we need. We stand on the threshold of what is becoming known by all who strive toward “rightness”. A rightness that is indestructible which is the universal search for meaning in all the world religions. Our sciences have brought us the awareness of the process, and our subjectivity demands an appropriate outcome in order for us to give ourselves to the unfolding of the not yet. Teilhard de Chardin and others began the process, Dr. Haught has built on their insights and takes us the next step.

I have worked my way through Thich Nhat Hanh’s “The Heart of the Buddha’s Teaching. This centuries old form of wisdom brought me the concept of Interdependent Co-Arising that is another way of approaching right mindfulness that frees one from the notion of anything or anyone being separate from everything else. It was a challenge to work through all the various systems that Buddhism entails in coming to this basic truth but I received nuggets of insights that enlarged my understanding of this noble path.

The Wisdom Jesus by Cynthia Bourgeault is another treasure trove worth mining. She helps us explore more deeply the impact of recently discovered documents found by archaeologists and others, who then with the aid of many specialists open up new insights on the early believers. It will take many years to unpack the implications that this new source reveals. As many find the current “package” of belief too small, The Wisdom Jesus will help to enlarge the possibilities Cynthia and others are bring forth.

It is a rare book that has me mentally shouting YES almost on every page, but Being Mortal by Atul Gawande has done that for me. After serving people who are trying to make sense out of the modern medical systems for so many years, it was a source of hope and joy to read this book. Taking into consideration the whole person who is trying to make their way through the bewildering options now available is the new frontier and it is the new “wild west”. Never in human history has so many questions of what it means to be human challenge us now. The physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual questions come at us at a pace that overwhelms the best of us. Reading this book and talking with our significant others is a great first step. Dr. Gawande tells the stories in a way that will help us recognize our own stories. He will be an able guide as we each confront Being Mortal.

Since I read this book the author was inter vied on Public radio and said this:

“There are many kinds of studies; the most powerful one, for me, was the study that Jennifer Temel, a Massachusetts General Hospital physician, did — led, which took care of stage four lung cancer patients. They lived only, on average, 11 months. It’s a terminal condition; no one lived past about three years. And what she did was, half of the group were randomized to get the usual oncology care, and the other half were randomized to get the usual oncology care plus a palliative care clinician, physician, to see them early in the course of their illness. And so it was sort of a radical idea — see them from the very beginning.

And what — the group who saw the palliative care clinicians from the very beginning did end up stopping their chemotherapy. They were 50 percent less likely to be on chemotherapy in their last three months of life. They were 90 percent less likely to be on the chemotherapy in their last two weeks of life. They were less likely to get surgery towards the end. They had one-third lower costs. They started hospice sooner. They spent more time out of the hospital. They were less likely to die in the hospital or die in the ICU. And the kicker was that they not only had overall less suffering, they lived 25 percent longer.”

The Holy Trinity and the Law of Three. Shambhala Pub, In. Boulder, Co 2013 by Cynthia Bourgeault. Have you ever been attracted to a new concept and intuited that it was on the right track even though how it developed seemed obscure at the moment? I found myself there with the thoughts of Teilhard de Chardin over 40 years ago. Many, Cynthia among them, were also drawn by his insights and have lent their talents to joining in the flow that all truly creative efforts engender. If you are willing to take the tour of Cynthia’s factory of inspiration you will be rewarded with seeing the nuts and bolts of her inspiration on the Trinity or as she calls it “The Law of Three”. It is a demanding tour, but well worth the effort if you are interested in how she got THERE.

Paul’s Berg’s story could be anyone’s story who has given their all to a cause they believed in. He takes us through the tragic war in Vietnam through the community of Wounded Knee and beyond. As someone who has lived through a similar saga with the criminal justice system, I found myself thinking of all the risks entailed in following my truth. The awakening to the insight that all systems have inherent in them the same danger of being co-opted by the “system”. How do I keep from being used to keep things as a good form of job insurance? Was there a minimal focus on actually making changes for the people supposedly being served? These are questions for those of us who like Paul can bring to the discussion now.

Klein, Naomi. No is not Enough. Harper Books. Chicago, IL. 2017. Resisting Trump’s shock politics and winning the world we need.

As I read this book I was flashing back to those days at the U of IA Hospital and Clinics and our Monday morning interdisciplinary rounds. Each week all the disciplines involved in diagnosing and treating our patients came together to gather all the facts we knew and discern what we still needed to know to figure out what our patient needed and wanted. After all the tests results came in we started our care planning. One would offer this option and another said that if we chose that course of treatment they would need to do this. Another would offer if that was chosen then maybe this should happen first. Still others suggested another option that no one had thought of. Alone, if each progressed without this information, we could end up with something no one wanted let alone the patient and their family.

Each week we regathered to evaluate our progress and revise our plans. As the chaplain I often stood between the vast system and the patient and family, bringing questions and insights that kept those two realities on the same page. This way we could harness the best of all the options we had available.

Naomi Klein has done the chaplain’s role for our present moment’s challenges. She has listened, witnessed, and brought all her skills together to help us diagnose our collective dis-ease. She has written a guide for how each of us can bring our skills to bear on healing what needs caring for and send us off with a renewed hope that we can Leap forward to a more humane-human future.

At 80 years of age and surrounded by the woes of the world, I must tell the author Ruy Teixeira I NEEDED THIS BOOK. He carefully outlines the last 100 years and brings together the information I needed to see the sweep of the global struggles and successes. He painted the big picture and reveals that the arc of history is bending toward a more evolved world. I keep a record of all the books I read and they are listed by the author last name. Today when I added this book to that list it came right after Teilhard de Chardin. I see this as an affirmation of Teilhard’s vision. If you need an antidote to the daily news this book is for you.

I was attracted to the premise of this book because I wondered why we reason the way we do. A sentence on the last page sums it up for me. “Group discussion is typically beneficial when participants have different ideas and a common goal.” In our times of polarization where we haven’t agreed upon the common goal of survival of the environment or humanity itself it is no wonder why we struggle. Hopefully insight into the ways we do and do not reason will help us discover a common goal. It only takes a serious illness to impress upon a person that individualism is an illusion. We will move forward together or not at all. Hugo Mercier and Dan Sperber have dug deep and given us the benefit of their exhaustive examination of the enigma of reason.

The subtitle of this book accurately describes its contents. Elie Humbert traces the evolution of this great man’s work. Published first in 1983 this work makes available the origins and the insights gained in his practice of healing those who came to him. It is not for the feint of heart as it is heavy in use of language not too quickly assimilated, but perseverance pays off in the end. I think history will give him a significant thanks for how he moved the ball forward in the integrative process we all are called to engage in as we make sense of life and thereby add to the collective consciousness.

This classic by C.G. Jung is so timely for today. As I reflected on its message I was reminded of Teilhard de Chardin’s concept of union differentiates. This idea teaches that the more we come together, the more we discover our self. In biblical times the individual counted only as a member of a group. Outside the group survival was all but impossible unless you could find another group that would include you. Then centuries later, we rebelled and swung to the opposite pole of individualism. For a time we reveled in this new found sense of the importance of each life. It seems now that we are faced with another important paradigm shift that it isn’t an either/or dilemma, but a both/and reality. Jung invites us to reflect on the good/evil that is inherent in each of us. When we accept and respond in ways that our faith traditions offer, maybe we can evolve from just being attracted to the eternal truths offered by the worlds faith traditions and actually try to live them. It seems like our present worldwide anxiety offers us this invitation. You can go online and download a pdf version of this valuable little book.

Robinson, Marilynne, Lila. Picador Pub. NY. 2014. I rarely read novels but a dear friend handed me this one and because I treasure her wisdom I brought it home to read. It was so different than anything I had encountered it kept me wondering from page to page, just like the woman/child Lila. At first I was reminded of another friend who took home a dog from the shelter that had been abused and his efforts to convince the dog it was safe and loved. He never quite accomplished that goal. The early painful experiences would not let the dog relax into his love. But as I finished the book and thought more deeply about it another image came to me. The story put in words what we all go through in life as we cycle through experiences that consciously or unconsciously affect our choices. In having Lila’s story told in this unique fashion we almost experience her in a lucid dreaming state. Not having read anything else by Robinson I was not influenced by the information that might have changed the way I responded to this creative work. I might now have to pick up some of her earlier books.

Ilia Delio has given us the gift of bringing the thoughts of Teilhard de Chardin into the 21st century. Over 40 years ago I encountered this man’s genius that helped me bridge the chasm between science and religion. Unfortunately back then his ahead of the times thinking was not appreciated but I sensed a truth in his mysticism that kept pulling me forward when others seemed stalled. Now, at last, he is being noticed and appreciated by many. We are catching up to his vision both in science and religion. Delio plunges into the thoughts of others and attempts to move the “ball forward” with their help. It gives me great joy to find companions in this journey. If you want to experience a visual trip into this rich vein of creativity take the time to explore the film strip educational tool offered on this site called Survival. I have used this teaching tool for all these 40+ years. You will be rewarded.